Sixty Thousand Use Charity App to Apply for Disability Benefits

LONDON, November 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

- Advocacy Charity Announces Results of Digital Service to Transform Lives of UK's Most Vulnerable

UK Advocacy Charity seAp Announces Results of Disability Benefits App to support the UK's most vulnerable people as they apply for Employment Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161111/438497 )

The digital service, http://www.c-app.org.uk, launched in Jan 16, has received 80,000 visits from nearly 60,000 unique users in its first 8-months. The charity's announcement highlights a growing demand for support whilst applying for ESA and PIP.

Advocacy charity seAp launched the digital service to help the country's most vulnerable people apply for disability benefits. The project, funded by the Legal Education Foundation and Comic Relief has helped 1 in 17 UK people registering a claim for PIP and 1 in 14 preparing for ESA assessment for the same period.

The web-based app delivers critical support to disabled people, and those with long/medium-term physical mental health problems as they apply for ESA and PIP. The app is free, independent and anonymous and gives people the opportunity to try out and understand the questions they will face at their medical assessment.

seAp Advocacy has responded to the express need from the UK's most vulnerable for more information and preparation to support people through the medical assessment process.  

CEO seAp, Marie Casey said

"We've launched c-app in response to a growing need to get the right decision, first time which is good for people applying as well as the tax payer. We are extremely pleased that the results from the first 8 months show that c-app has benefited over 90% of visitors who have left with more information about the process."

"Applying for a disability-related benefit is a stressful process. People with the strongest cases often find it extremely difficult to describe their needs and are very anxious about applying."

People from across all socio-economic demographics may need advocacy support to apply for disability benefits. Feedback from users has shown that advocacy increased their confidence to speak up at their medical assessment and to represent the impact of their disability more accurately.

seAp Advocacy website: http://www.seap.org.uk/